WWD MAGAZINE - JANUARY 2015 - RICK OWENS RESPONDS TO CONTROVERSY - BY PAULINA SZMYDKE

JANUARY 2015

PANTS DOWN: EVEN ON SUNDAY, AS MEN'S FASHION WEEK WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE, TV CREWS WERE STILL GETTING REACTIONS TO THE 'FREE WILLY' PROJECT INITIATED BY RICK OWENS AT HIS FALL SHOW ON THURSDAY.

ASKED ABOUT OWEN'S FULL MONTY MOMENT ON SUNDAY, SIR PAUL SMITH GAMELY RESPONDED: 'I DECIDED TO KEEP MY TROUSERS ON.'

OWEN REMAINED SANGUINE ABOUT THE TURMOIL HE SPARKED - FIRST IN THE FRONT ROW, THEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS AND BEYOND.

'I PASS CLASSICAL MARBLE STATUES OF NUDE AND DRAPED FIGURES IN THE PARK EVERY DAY, AND THEY ARE A VISION OF SENSUALITY - YES, BUT ALSO OF GRACE AND FREEDOM. AS A PARTICIPANT IN ONE OF OUR MOST PROGRESSIVE AESTHETIC ARENAS, AM I NOT ALLOWED TO USE THIS IMAGERY? IS IT ONLY APPROPRIATE FOR A MICHAEL FASSBENDER MOVIE? I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING QUESTION,' HE WROTE WWD IN AN E-MAIL.

OWENS SAID 'HAVING BEEN INFLUENCED BY FEAR AND SHAME GROWING UP,' HE '[LOVED] THE IDEA OF PUTTING A MORE LOVING ENERGY OUT THERE WHENEVER I CAN.'